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“...She sent out for one of those short, plump little cakes called 'petites madeleines', which look as though they had been moulded in the fluted scallop of a pilgrim's shell... An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses...”

- Marcel Proust, in his novel Remembrance of Things Past

Madeleines (or petite madeleines) are wonderfully buttery treats originating from northeastern France. The perfect marriage of cake and cookie, these moist, chewy light cookies are baked in the shape of a seashell. They are a great afternoon snack paired with a cup of tea, or just by themselves. Recipe makes 24 cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1

Melt the butter, and allow it to cool.

2

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.

3

Beat the eggs and sugar (with an electric mixer, if possible) until the volume of the mixture has tripled and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about five minutes or so).

4

Mix in the vanilla extract and beat to combine.

5

Sift a small amount of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold it in to lighten it. Repeat until all the flour mixture is folded in. Do not overmix! The batter will deflate.

6

Whisk together a small amount of the flour mixture and the melted butter.

7

Fold the cooled melted butter into the egg mixture in three additions.

8

Cover and refrigerate the mixture until slightly firm.

9

Preheat oven to 375∘F (190∘C).

10

Butter the pans generously. Dust with flour and tap to remove any excess.

11

Drop a teaspoonful of batter into the center of each mold, making sure the batter remains mounded in the center.

12

Bake on a center rack for 11-13 minutes, until edges are golden-brown and centers spring back lightly when touched.Do not overbake!

13

Gently remove the madeleines from the pans by tapping them. Let cool on a wire rack smooth sides down.

14

Enjoy your delicious french treats!

Community Q&A

The proper pan is actually one with scallop shaped molds; in Britain, the pan used is known as a dariole mold. These are small pans which have a molded shell shape that traditional Madeleines are meant to conform to. If you want to use this sort of pan, they should be easily obtainable from a good kitchenware or bakeware store, restaurant cookware suppliers or online suppliers.

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 13,468 times.